Watford planning appeals
Inspectors allowed 35% of the planning appeals decided against Watford, 4 points above the England figure of 31%.
That ranks Watford 63 of 195 English councils with at least 20 appeals decided, counting from the most often overturned.
What this means if you are objecting
Roughly one appeal in three succeeds here, as across England. A refusal is not the end of the matter, so an objection grounded in the adopted local plan is worth more than one that is not, because the same policies are what an inspector would weigh.
Householder appeals
15 householder appeals were decided against Watford, with 40% allowed. These are extensions, loft conversions and the like, and they are decided under a faster procedure than a full planning appeal.
Against the rest of East of England
Across East of England, inspectors allowed 28% of planning appeals on average. Watford is a shire district.
Other councils in East of England
- Basildon50% (14/28)
- Chelmsford44% (19/43)
- Castle Point43% (10/23)
- East Hertfordshire39% (20/51)
- Maldon38% (18/47)
- Three Rivers35% (7/20)
- North Hertfordshire33% (8/24)
- Southend-on-Sea City Council33% (16/48)
Objecting to an application in Watford?
Enter the planning reference and we will check the designations on the site, the adopted local plan and the applicant's own documents, then tell you which grounds you actually have. That part is free.
Check my grounds, freeFigures cover April 2025 to March 2026 and come from the Planning Inspectorate, Decisions by LPA and decision maker, published under the Open Government Licence. Section 78 planning appeals only. “Allowed” means the inspector granted permission the council had refused. Source data.